Mustangs Withstand Late Surge by Bobcats

PERU, Neb. — The Mount Mercy's womens basketball team delivered a commanding performance to secure an 84-70 victory over Peru State in an NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup on Thursday evening. The Mustangs improved to 8-5 overall and 6-4 in conference play.

Mount Mercy showcased balanced scoring throughout the contest, led by Annika Headington's stellar effort. Headington finished with a team-high 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field while adding six rebounds and five assists. Claudia Vanzant contributed 15 points and four rebounds, demonstrating her consistency in the paint.

The Mustangs opened the game with a strong first quarter, establishing a 17-12 lead. They maintained their advantage heading into halftime with a 38-33 scoreline. In the third quarter, Peru State narrowed the gap, outscoring Mount Mercy 18-16. However, the Mustangs responded with a dominant 30-point effort in the final period to seal the win.

Sam Kiel was instrumental in Mount Mercy's offensive efficiency, contributing 16 points while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Taylor Rose and Ellie Morrill added nine points each off the bench, providing crucial depth.

Defensively, the Mustangs held Peru State to 41.9% shooting from the field and limited their three-point efficiency to just 28.6%. Mount Mercy converted on 47.1% of their own field goal attempts, including an 85.7% success rate from the free-throw line.

The Mustangs will face a pivotal conference challenge as they host Central Methodist on January 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 PM at Hennessey Recreation Center.